What’s My Kidney Worth on the Black Market in Minnesota?

This past August I had a faulty kidney removed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It would have been no benefit to anyone else, but it got me wondering, "if we can live live with just one kidney, how much is the second one worth?"

I've battled some health issues off and on for the last twenty or so years. Cancer a couple of times, complications from treatments, bunches of surgeries -- but I've been lucky because its all been fixable. I'm just down a kidney now.

Before we take too deep of a dive here, it's important to note,

Buying or selling organs is illegal in the U.S. It is a federal felony to give or receive money or any other tangible gift in exchange for a donated organ.

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Donating an organ out of the kindness of your heart is a completely different thing. That's just awesome, but there are not a lot of body parts that one living person can donate to another. Since we have two kidneys, and can live with one -- there's the exception.

Organ transplants have saved countless lives since becoming a realization in the 1950s. As the techniques and technologies improve, positive outcomes for donors and recipients are increasing. Heck, earlier this year physicians at Mayo Clinic in Rochester successfully completed a face transplant.

The number of patients on organ waiting lists generally far out paces the number of available organs. Becoming an organ donor in the event of your death can save several lives -- find out how in Minnesota here.

How Much is Your Kidney Worth on the Illegal Market?

According to an article by Dr. Bertalan Mesko, PhD on the website MedicalFuturist.com, a human kidney can be sold for between $50,000 to $120,000.